This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing bags and depositing the filled and sealed bags in cartons, and more particularly to such a method and apparatus for the packaging of a particulate product such as dry breakfast cereal.
The method and apparatus of this invention are in the same general field as the method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,983,682 and 4,571,926, for example, and involve utilization of a vertical form/fill/seal ("VFFS") packaging machine such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,965 of Robert C. James issued Sept. 15, 1981 to the assignee of this application, and of a carton conveyor such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,975 of Marinus J. M. Langen et al., issued Feb. 17, 1987 and assigned by mesne assignments to the assignee of this application, and a combination weighing scale such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,506 of Takashi Hirano, issued May 2, 1986 to Yamoto Scale Co. Ltd. of Akashi, Japan,, the disclosures of these U.S. patents being incorporated herein by reference. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of an improved and relatively simplified and reliable method of and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing bags and depositing them in cartons utilizing a single vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine, which may be a high speed packaging machine, and a cartoner in association with the packaging machine, the apparatus being of a type that may be referred to as a stand-alone apparatus; the provision of such apparatus which takes up relatively low floor space in a plant, is of relatively low height, and is economical to provide and use, considering its output; the provision of such apparatus which is adapted for ready change-over for forming different sizes of bags and packaging them in corresponding different sizes of cartons; the provision of improved means for setting up cartons for deposit of the filled bags therein with this set-up means being useful in conjunction with the filling of the cartons with unbagged product; and the provision of improved means for opening certain flaps of the cartons as they are conveyed to a position for receiving the bags or unbagged product.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a method of and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing bags and depositing the filled and sealed bags in cartons, one bag per carton, each carton being one having front and back (major) walls and side (minor) walls and closure flaps at the upper and lower ends of said walls and being of the type which may be supplied in a folded-flat collapsed condition and set up to an expanded open condition wherein it is substantially rectangular in transverse cross section. In general, the method of the invention comprises forming flexible sheet packaging material into tubing, intermittently feeding the tubing downwardly one bag length, the tubing dwelling between successive feed cycles, and sealing the tubing transversely during the dwell following each downward feed of the tubing to form a seal for the top of a bag to be separated from the tubing and a bottom seal for the next bag to be formed. Product is delivered into the lower end of the sealed tubing for each bag being formed prior to the formation of the seal at the top of the bag. An opened carton is positioned at a carton loading station below and generally in line with the bag being formed for deposit of the bag in the carton. The bag length at the lower end of the tubing, constituting a bag containing product, has a front, back and sides. It is constrained at the front, back and at the sides to a shape such as to fit in the said opened carton. The tubing is severed between the top and bottom seals of the bag to separate the bag from the tubing; and the constraint on the separated bag is removed at the front and back for descent of the bag into the carton.
In general, the apparatus of this invention comprises means for forming flexible sheet packaging material into tubing, means for intermittently feeding the tubing downwardly one bag length, the tubing dwelling between successive feed cycles, and means for sealing the tubing transversely during the dwell following each downward feed of the tubing to form a seal for the top of a bag to be separated from the tubing and a bottom seal for the next bag to be formed. Means is provided for delivering a charge of product into the lower end of the tubing for each bag being formed prior to the formation of the seal at the top of the bag. Means is provided for positioning an opened carton at a carton loading station below and generally in line with the bag being formed for deposit of the bag in the carton. The bag length at the lower end of the tubing, constituting a bag containing product, has a front, back and sides. Means is provided for constraining said bag length at the front, back and at the sides to a shape such as to fit in the said opened carton, for severing the tubing between the top and bottom seals to separate the bag from the tubing, and for removing the constraint on the said filled, sealed and separated bag at the front and back for descent thereof into the carton.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.